Friday, February 10, 2012

The Fall of Israel

My Old Testament Bible studies stopped with the split between Israel and Judah. The royal families continue to intermarry, and the faith continues to be diluted by foreign beliefs. In both countries, God is worshiped on the high places while true priests and prophets preach and teach. Both royal courts are served by God's prophets. The Temple at Jerusalem contains multiple altars and is the center of Judahite worship, but Israel maintains a similar culture and symbolism in the bull statues at its boundaries. Judah and Israel straddle major trade routes and are both subject to frequent invasion as the Syrian empire rises. So... continuing the tale...

What happened to the king
of Damascus?

Whatever happened to
Jezebel?

What had a bow and arrow
to do with Israel and Syria?

Whose court included the
prophet Jonah?

Where did the prophet Amos
come from?

Does the Old Testament God
only love His own people?

Does killing God’s enemies
in the Old Testament guarantee God’s blessing?

Does being anointed by a
prophet in the Old Testament guarantee God’s blessing?

Do Israel and Judah ever
ally with each other?

Do Israel and Judah ever
ally with other nations against each other?

The Syrian empire, to the North of Israel, was often a
threat, but Ben-Hadad of Damascus provided a valuable buffer for Israel and
Judah. When when Ben-Hadad fell ill, he sent his servant Hazael to the prophet
Elisha to ask God’s help. Elisha wept because Hazael was going to usurp the
throne and attack Israel. Known in Assyrian documents as a usurper, and calling
himself a dog, Hazael murdered Ben-Hadad, and did just as was prophesied (2
Kings 8). War between Damascus and Israel and Judah followed, and the line of
Omri comes to an end. A new king Jehu becomes God’s chosen king of Israel,
annointed by Elishah while Joram recovered from battle wounds in Jezreel. Jehu
attacks Jezreel and treats all offers of peace as treachery (because Joram’s
mother is the “witch” Jezebel). He shoots Joram in the back with an arrow,
throwing the body in Naboth’s vineyard (poetic justice, since Jezebel stole the
vineyard from its owner, 1 Kings 21). When Ahaziah flees back to Judah he’s
shot in the back as well, but lives a little longer. Jezebel sues for peace
from the parapet of her castle but is thrown down to die (2 Kings 9). Then Jehu
kills off all possible contenders for the throne. He tricks the Baal-worshipers
into attending a great feast and kills them. (2 Kings 10), but God is not
pleased (because Jehu still values the golden calves at Bethel and Dan, or
because God didn’t ask for all this slaughter?).

Hazael gradually reduces the territory of Israel, and Jehu’s
successor, his son Jehoahaz, prays for relief (2 Kings 13). History records
these prayers being answered in Hazael’s death when a weaker king (another
Ben-Hadad) succeeds to the throne. Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz becomes king in
Israel and seeks blessing from the elderly, and sick, prophet Elisha. Elisha
tells Jehoash to shoot an arrow through a window. Jehoash then has to smash his
remaining arrows against the ground, but only hits it 3 times, so Israel will
only be delivered only 3 times from Syria. Jehoash, followed by his son
Jeroboam, fight to regain cities lost to Damascus and succeeds three times, as
prophesied. Israel’s territory expands southwards too, when cities lots to
Judah are also recovered, heralding a golden age.

Jonah becomes court prophet in Israel, (2 Kings 14) perhaps taking
Elisha’s place. Assyria is now the biggest threat and Jonah is called to
Nineveh but famously swallowed by a whale (or kept alive in its mouth) when he
tries to escape. Nineveh repents (Jonah 3), but non-Biblical sources don’t
mention the event (it’s a big city, but it’s not a capital). Soon the prophets
Amos and Hosea are called to warn Israel of the Assyrian threat. Amos even
points out that the Exodus story means Israel’s subject to God’s harshest
judgment, and other non-chosen nations have been blessed (Amos 3:1, 9:7).
Israel relies on protection from Syria and Damascus, even when Amos prophesies
Damascus will fall (6:1) and Israelites be scattered (7:11). Eventually Amos is
banished home to Judah (Amos 7:12). His message against the oppression and
injustice of Israel’s golden age is balanced by Hosea’s call to reject false
gods, reflecting God’s concern for both the physical and the sacred. And things
fall apart. Jerobam’s son, Zechariah, is assassinated after 6 months (2 Kings
15) by Shallum, who is assassinated one month later by Menahem. Ten years
later, Menahem is followed by his son Pekahiah. The anti-Assyrian Pekah
assassinates Pekahiah and allies with Rezin, king of Syria (2 Kings 16) who
attacks Judah, attempting to force them to ally against Assyria. Hoshea
assassinates Pekah, becomes subject to Assyria, then falls after trying to make
an alliance with Egypt (2 Kings 17), at which point Israel finally falls as well.